Sen. Steve Bradford

This measure would designate that January 16, 2017, be observed as the official memorial of the late Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s birth and commemorate Martin Luther King, Jr. Day and the work of Dr. King and the Civil Rights Movement in changing public policy in California and in the United States of America.

Existing law establishes categories of peace officers with varying powers and authority to make arrests and carry firearms. Any sheriff of a county is a peace officer whose authority extends to any place in the state, as specified. Existing law requires the sheriff of a county to preserve the peace, among other duties. This bill would establish in the County of Los Angeles a permanent citizens' oversight committee for the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department. The bill would require the committee to consist of an unspecified number of members, would require the members to be residents of the county, and would require the members of the committee to serve terms of an unspecified number of years. The bill would require the committee to review and evaluate the practices and performance of the department and to prepare a report containing the committee's findings. The bill would also require the county to reimburse the committee for the reasonable costs incurred by the committee. This bill would make legislative findings and declarations as to the necessity of a special statute for the County of Los Angeles. The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement. This bill would provide that, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to these statutory provisions.

Existing law authorizes the court, in addition to any other penalty in an infraction, misdemeanor, or felony case, to impose a civil assessment of up to $300 against any defendant who fails, after notice and without good cause, to appear in court for any proceeding authorized by law, or who fails to pay all or any portion of a fine ordered by the court or to pay an installment of bail, as specified. Existing law provides that the assessment shall not become effective until at least 10 calendar days after the court mails a warning notice to the defendant, and requires the court, if the defendant appears within the time specified in the notice and shows good cause for the failure to appear or for the failure to pay a fine or installment of bail, to vacate the assessment. The bill would provide that ability to post bail or to pay the fine or civil assessment is not a prerequisite to filing a request that the court vacate the assessment. The bill would also state that the imposition or collection of a civil assessment does not preclude a defendant from scheduling a court hearing on the underlying charge. Existing law authorizes a court to give notice to the Department of Motor Vehicles if any person has willfully failed to pay a lawfully imposed fine, or bail in installments, within the time authorized by the court, except as specified. If the fine is fully paid, the court or court is required to issue and file with the department a certificate showing that the fine has been paid. This bill would require the court clerk, if the fine is fully paid, or an agreement is signed to pay the fine, fee, or bail in installments, or an agreement is signed to perform community service, to issue and file a certificate with the department that the fine has been paid or satisfied, or an agreement has been signed, and request that the license hold be lifted. The bill would prohibit the court from requiring the payment of bail, the fine, or a civil assessment before a person may request the court to vacate a civil assessment.

Existing law provides for the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) , known in California as CalFresh, under which supplemental nutrition assistance benefits allocated to the state by the federal government are distributed to eligible individuals by each county. Existing federal law requires that a child receiving benefits under SNAP be certified as eligible for free lunches and free breakfasts without further application. Existing law requires a county welfare department to compile a list of emergency food providers and make that list available upon request. This bill would additionally require a county human services agency to compile a list of emergency and supplemental food assistance providers, as specified. The bill would also require a county human services agency to provide an applicant household that has children with information about how to enroll the children in the California Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC Program) and the National School Lunch and School Breakfast Programs while the CalFresh application is pending and to inform the household that if the household is certified for CalFresh, specified children in the household are income-eligible for the WIC Program and all children in the household are directly certified for the National School Lunch and School Breakfast Programs without further application. The bill would require the department to implement these provisions by all-county letters or similar instructions beginning no later than May 1, 2015, until regulations are adopted, and would require the department to adopt regulations on or before October 1, 2017. By increasing the duties of county human services agencies, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement. This bill would provide that, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to these statutory provisions.

Existing law requires each county to provide aid to its indigent residents not supported by other means. These county programs are known as general assistance programs. Existing law permits a county to prohibit an employable individual from receiving general assistance benefits for more than 3 months in any 12-month period, whether or not the months are consecutive, if he or she has been offered an opportunity to attend job skills or job training sessions. This bill would, commencing July 1, 2015, exempt from that prohibition an employable veteran who was honorably discharged from the Armed Forces, unless the county enacts an ordinance making the prohibition applicable to an employable veteran who was honorably discharged from the Armed Forces. By requiring a county to expand eligibility for general assistance programs, or enact an ordinance to make the prohibition applicable to an employable veteran, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement. This bill would provide that, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to these statutory provisions.

This measure would request the Congress of the United States to, among other things, act immediately to avert federal spending cuts known as "sequestration" to protect the California and national economies.

Existing law dissolved redevelopment agencies and community development agencies as of February 1, 2012, and provides for the designation of successor agencies to wind down the affairs of the dissolved redevelopment agencies. Existing law requires revenues equivalent to those that would have been allocated to each redevelopment agency, had the agency not been dissolved, to be allocated to the Redevelopment Property Tax Trust Fund of each successor agency for making payments on the principal of and interest on loans, and moneys advanced to or indebtedness incurred by the dissolved redevelopment agencies. Existing law requires, from February 1, 2012, to July 1, 2012, inclusive, and for each fiscal year thereafter, the county auditor-controller, after deducting administrative costs, to allocate property tax revenues in each Redevelopment Property Tax Trust Fund in a specified manner. This bill, for the 2014–15 fiscal year and each fiscal year thereafter, would prohibit any revenues derived from the imposition of a property tax rate, approved by the voters of a city, county, or city and county to make payments in support of pension programs and levied in addition to the general property tax rate, from being allocated to a Redevelopment Property Tax Trust Fund and would, instead, require these revenues be allocated to, and when collected to be paid into, the fund of the city, county, or city and county whose voters approved the tax unless, following a written request with each Recognized Obligation Payment Schedule cycle from the successor agency to the city, county, or city and county whose voters approved the tax, the city, county, or city and county authorizes the use of the revenues by the successor agency to pay any enforceable obligation, as specified. The bill would require any revenues derived from the imposition of a property tax rate as so described that have been pledged as security for the payment of any indebtedness obligation to be allocated to the successor agency to pay that indebtedness obligation, as specified. The bill would require all allocations of revenues derived from the imposition of a property tax rate as so described made by any county auditor-controller prior to July 1, 2014, to be deemed correct, and would prohibit any city, county, city and county, county auditor-controller, successor agency, or affected taxing entity from being subject to any claim, as specified. By adding to the duties of local government officials, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement. This bill would provide that, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to these statutory provisions. This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute.